Pubdate: Wed, 29 Aug 2007 Source: London Free Press (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 The London Free Press Contact: http://www.lfpress.com/cgi-bin/comments.cgi?c=letters-editor Website: http://www.lfpress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/243 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n998/a02.html Author: Luis Leal POLICE SHOULD FOCUS ON PROVEN BAD DRUGS I don't see the logic in the article, Salvia's quick high worries police (Aug. 27). It seems like just random fear-mongering to me. First, where's the evidence that this drug is bad? Are people supposed to stand behind the banning of something that sounds less harmful than alcohol (alcohol's effects lasting hours, leading to drunk driving; salvia's effects lasting minutes)? Where are the priorities here? Are we supposed to ban it so London police can focus on fighting a war on it when they haven't won the war on current street drugs such as crack, meth or heroin? Are we supposed to make illegal a drug that, by the account of the mystery woman in the story, was a one-time high? Imagine if that woman had tried crack or some other street drug. I'm sure she wouldn't say the same thing. According to The Free Press, the drug causes a "zombie-like state." That doesn't sound like someone who'd be going for a stroll or driving, unlike say, someone who has a couple of beers. I think London police and The London Free Press need to focus on dealing with our current drug problems rather than tackling new and, by all accounts, minimally threatening ones. We should worry about drugs that have wrecked lives and will continue to wreck lives if kept on the streets. Deal with the real problems before making new ones. Luis Leal London - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman